Ballot-box



(No Model.) 4 SheetS-Sheet 1.

W. P. FURNELL.

BALLOT BOX.

No. 310,506. Patented Jan. 6, 1885.

ATTORNEYS.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. P. PIIRNBLL. BALLO'T B0X.

No. 310,506. Patented Jan. 6, 1885.

ATTORNEYS.

. (Nor A o d e 1 4 S h e e t s S h e e t 3.

W. P. PURNBLL.

BALLOT BOX.

No. 310,506. Patented Jan. 6,1885.

y l ".z 17,

(No Model.) 4 Sheets Sheet 4. W. P. PURNELL. BALLOT BOX.

No. S10-,506.

. INVENTOR.

- ATTORNEYS.

l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM PERRY FR-NELL, OF SILYER ,HILL 'ES'I VIRGINIA.

BALLOT-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part OLLetters Patent No. 310,56, dated January 6, 1885.

Applikation tiitd Mai' i7, is*

T0 a/ZZ whom it may concern.'

Be it knwn that I, WILLIAM PERRYv FUE- NELL, a'citizen of the United States,and a resident of Silver Hill, in the county of Wetzel and State of XVest Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ballot-Boxes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is ,a perspective view of my im proved voting-machine, ready for use. Fig. 2 is-a top view of the machine with all the lids open. inders removed. Figu4 is a cross-section on lineas fr, Fig. 2, butwith the lids closed. Fig. 5 is a side View with the'eXposed side removed. Fig. 6 is a perspective det-ail view of the cyl` inder-operating mechanism. Fig. 7 is asimilar view of the alarm mechanism. Fig. S is a similarview ofthe slotted ticket-holding plate, and Fig. 9 is a similarview ofthe recordingsheet.

V Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the-iigures.

My invention has relation to voting-inachines'; and it consists in the improved construction and combination of parts of a machine in which cach voter records his own vote upon a sheet and drops a slip with his name in a box, the machine registering the number of persons voting, ashercinaf'termor fully described and claimed. f

ln the accompanying'drawings the letter A lindicates anoblong rectangular bex, divided by means of partitions B and C into a large compartment, D, a narrowcompartment, 13,.

Fig. 3 is a similar View with the cyl- (No mndel.)

to the end of the box is provided with a' slot, J, opening into the name-reccptacle, and has upon the side .edges near its free end two staples, K K, and the narrower of the doors or lids hinged to the sides of the box is provided with a staple, L, in the edge at theend of the box. Two cylinders, M and N, are journaled longitudinally in the large compartment of the box, and are provided with a longitudinal row of projecting points, O, adapted to catch the edges of a sheet of paper, andthe end of the cylinder' M has a ratchet-wheel, P, secured to it, which is engaged by a pawl, Q, pivoted upon the inner partition of the large compartment, and held with its free end closeto the outer ends of the teeth of the ratehetwheel by means of two` springs, R and S, bearing against its upper and lower sides. A rock-shaft. T, is journaled in bearings lin the'upper edge ofthe side of the box to which the larger lid is hinged, and has arms U, secured to the said lid, so as to cause it to rock when the lid is opencd or closed, and the said rock-shaft has two double cranks, V- and W,

one at its middle and one at its inner end, proiecting in a plane parallel with the plane of the lid. 'A pawl-arm, X, is hinged to the inner crankV, and projects so as to engage the ratchetwheel, and is held with its point close to the ends of the ratchet-teeth by means of two springs, Y' and Z, secured at their inner ends upon the inner partition ofthe large compartment. An arm, A', is hinged to the double crank upon the middle of the roelrshzift, and is pivoted at its lower end upon the crank B', upon one end of a rock-shaft, C,`rocking in bearings in the bot-torn of the box,which rockshaft has another crank, 1)', at its other end, to which an arm, E', is pivoted, the said arm "sliding in bearings upon the bottom of the box, and the outer end of this arm is provided with a catch, F', adapted to engage a springarm, G', secured at one end upon the bottom of the box, forcing it' back when the sliding arm is pushed inward .by its crank, which takes place when the lid is opened, the cranks pointing in opposite directions, and the said catch will slip the spring'arm when it has been pushed back to its full extent, allowing the spring-arm to spring back, striking a bell, H', with its free end, which is provided with a hammer, I'. Gurved'springs J are secured- IOO upon the side of the box, and bear with their inner downwardlycurved ends against 'the` periphery of the roller or cylinder M when the tally or recording sheet K' has been secured at its edges upon the points upon the rollers and wound upon the same, causing the said sheet to roll smoothly upon the cylinders,y and curved springs L' are secured upon the under-side of the narrow hinged lid or door, serving the same purpose at the other cylinder. The outer end of the trunnion M', upon which cylinder N is pivoted, is polygonous, and projects througha recess, N', in the end of the box, and a key, O', fits upon the said polygonousv end, serving to wind or revolve' the cylinder, winding the tally or recording sheet upon the same. A longitudinal board,

P', haviuga covering, Q', of a yielding material, rests with its ends in rabbets R' in the end piece of the box and in the inner partition of the large 4'compartment above the space between the twocylinders, the tally-sheet passing over the said board, and a board or frame, S', rcstsavin rabbets T' above the said board and above the sheet, and has a number of slots, U', near one edge, registering with the lines upon thc ticket Y", upon which the names ofthecandidatcs and the several ofnces are marked, the said ticket vresting upon the frame and being covered by a glazed frame, \V', hinged at one edge to the edge of the frame. A rod, X', is secured at its ends parallel with t-he row of slots and with the edge of the frame, and a number of strips, Y', each of a sufficient width to cover one of the slots, and corresponding in number and in position upon the rod to the number of slots, are hinged to the said rod, being sufficiently long to be held down over the slots by the l'rcc edgeof the glazed frame, or to be held tilted away from the slots by a longitudinal bail,.Z, secured at its ends tothe free edge ofthe narrow hinged door upon the side ofthe box, the said bail being held down upon the ends of the strips when the said door or lid is closed. The tally-sheet is ruled to correspond to the rulings ofthe ticket and to the slots in the ticket-holding frame, and at one end ofthe same, the'end which is attached to the cylinder having the ratchet-wheel, the ticket is preferably marked, so that marks made through the slots in the ticket-holding frame may appear upon the sheet as standing in a line from the name ofthe candidate, and the total number of marks may be footed up at the other end of the tallyshect,where also a certificate of the judges or commissioncrsof the election may be marked and similar certificates or reports. The inner end of the narrowdoor of the box has a downwardly-projecting rod or arm, A", thelower end of which will bear upon the spring, forcing the pawl Q to engage the ratchet-wheel when the said dooris closed, and'theinner end of the ticketholding frame will bcar'upon the spring bcaring against the pawl-`arm pivoted to the crank upon the rock-shaft, forcing the latter to engage the ratchet-wheel, andthe throw of the said crank is sufficiently long to cause the said pawl-arln to move the ratchet-wheel one tooth forward each time the hinged door is opened, thus moving` the tally-sheet one space .over upon the ratchet-bearing cylinder for each time the door is opened. The inner end of the trunnion B"of the ratchet-bearing cylinder which turns in the inner partition passes through the said partition, and is provided upon its end with a wheel, C",which turns' in` the narrow compartment between the large roller or cylinder-holding compartment and the name-receptacle, and to the peripheryof which wheel a strip, D", is secured, passing over a pin or roller, E", at the upper end of the compartment and under a plate, F", above the said pin or roller, and secured to a roller,

G", secured upon a shaft, H", turning in bearings'in the partitions and provided at its end which passes through one partition into the name-receptacie with a crank-wheel, I", by which it may be revolved. The plate F", under which the strip passes, has a transverse slot, J", through which one of a series of numbers marked upon the strip may be seen, the numbers upon the strip registering with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel,so that each tooth `of the ratchet-wheel, andf consequently each space upon the tally-sheehwill register with a number upon the strip, the strip thus 'regis tering the number of spaces the ratchet-bearing cylinder has been revolved, which means the number of times the door has been opened, showing the number through the slot in the plate. An arm, K", is hinged upon theinner side of the end piece of the box near its upper edge, adapted to rest upon the outer end oi'- -the ticket-holding frame, and adapted to be held down bythe.inner edge of the narrow door, thus locking the ticket-l'iolding frame in'place, and the wide hinged door or l'd of the voting-compartment is provided witi a recess or pocket, L", in which a pencil or IIO similar writing implement maybe placed.

A fiexible screen, M", having three upright standards, N, may be placed with thelower ends of thc standards in the bailsrin the edges f of the hinged lids or doors, screening the large cylinder-holding compartment, so" as to allow a person to `mark his votes for the several candidates through the slots in the ticketholding frame without being observed by persons standing aroundthe polling-place.

Vhen the machine is to be used, the tallysheet is ruled to correspond to the length of the slots in the ticket receiving orholdingframe, and consequently corresponding to the lines upon the ticket held in the said frame, the order of names of candidates and of oflices being the same upon the ticket held in theframe and upon the ticket marked at the end ofthe sheet, whereupon the end of the sheet having the ticket marked upon it is secured by means of the points upon the ratchet-bearing cylinder to the said cylinder, and the other end ofthe sheet is secured to the other cylinder inthe same manner, whereupon the-sheet is wound upon FVor lid. when the the said cylinder, the registering-strip being at the same time wound 'upon its roller, until the registering-strip shows 0 onzro through the slot in thefplate, and vthe tally-sheet will show itsrst blank spaces through the slots in the ticket-holding frame, which will be put in place, `the slots corresponding to the names of the Yofticesfor which. the persons whose names appear below the same are candidates being covered by the hinged strips, as also' names of candidates who may have withdrawn .from the contest, while the slots correspond ing to thev names of the candidates are open, the hiiugedtrips being .thrown back andheld by the bail upon -the narrow door, which is now closed, causing the downwardlyprojecting rod upon the same to force the spring, and through it the pawl, down to engage the ratchet-wheel, and the ticket-holding frame will force the spring bearinr against the pawlarm down, causing the said pawl-arm to en gage the ratchet-wheel, the outer end of the said. frame being held locked by the hinged rod caught under the edge of the narrow door machine will be ready for use. As the voters arrive at the machine, each voter will first hand a slip of paper with his name markedupon it to the judges or vcornmissioners of the election, who will examine the same, and if the person `is foundto be a Voter the'sli'pis dropped through the slot in the lid intothe widedoor of the cylinderholding com partinent is opened, which will cause the. alarmbell to be soundedcalling attention tov a vote taken, the pawl-arm` at the same time' moving thev tally-sheet 'one space forward, when'the -voter may mark his v ote forthc several candidates through the slots, being screened from` observation by theup'right tlcx iblesereen, it being impossible for the voter to mark his'vote for the same office for'di'eront candidates without the same being plainly seen in `countingthe votes afteriinished voting.. 'The registering -slip .will at any time show the 4.number of votes castv or marked', which numberflshould correspond to the number of name-slipsinthereceptacle, the entire machine-preventing s o-called ballotfbox stu f'- ng, only onespace "being exposcdfor each time thedor orlid isopened. r-Xi'terinished voting'. the marks upon the tall y-sheet may be counted and the' vtota-ls marked at the cndiof theflines of'marks,th`e said totals marking' the number of'votes received Iby eachnandidate, and if thefnuniberlof nameslips is found to register with tue number shown upon the registeringesli,thetotals may be conside-red as correct returns, the machine thus saving time in counting the votes v and givinga cor? 'reet tally-sheet' at once.' It will alsobe seen that themaehine will .avoid the trouble found at elections-viz: the reading ofthe ballots, which, by their being folded, scratched, and 5 many times carried around in pocket'san'd fingered until the names become illegible, oftenl the v.ing Vslo'tsnear its edge,

thev name-receptacle, whereupon` .glazed frame hingedati end, the ticket-holding frame slotted will have to be ruled out, although .thrown in good faith, besides saving the time consumed in reading the ballots out, writing them down, andthereupon counting them.

Having thus describedmy invention,I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesi i l. The combination of an index-plate havingnarrow slots near its edge, as described, a sheet'traveling beneath the index plate, a box inclosing` the said plate and sheet-,and provided with a swinginglidor door, and means, as described, for moving the sheet spaceswhen the li'dor door isopened, as and for ythe purpose shown and set forth.

2. The combination of anindex-plate hav- .ing narrow 'slots near its edge, a sheet traveling beneath the index-pla`tc, asbox inclosing swinging lid or door, means, as described, for moving the sheet forward' by the opening of equidista-nt said plate and sheet, and provided witl'a,

the door, and means-for sounding an alarm when the door is open'ed, as and l for the purpose shown 4and se, forth.

3. The combination of an'indexplate hav-- a sheettraveling under the said plate, and means, 'substantially as described, for moving the said sheet one space at the. time, as and for `the purpose sh own and set forth. .I 4. The indexplateor ticket-holding frame having" a row of narrow slots near one edge,

.having a rod provided with'hinged strips of the sainewidth as the slots, and having a ts other edge, as and -for .the purpose shown and set forth.

' '5. .The combination ofthe ticket-holding frameih'aviug a row vofslots near one edge, having a rod provided with hinged strips corresponding in width to the length ofthe slots, and having a glazed frame hinged toits other edge, with/a ticket ruled to correspond tothe slots in: the plate, as and for the purpose shown'aud set forth.

6.'.Clhe combination ofthe box, thelid or cover hinged tc -one side ofthe box, the rockshaft turning in bearings at the upper edge of the side ofthe box, attached to rock wit-h the lid or door, and formed witha crank near one as described, and secured in the top ofthe box under the hinged lid, two cylinders journaled ICO underthe ticket-holding frame iu thebox,

one provided with a ratchet-wheel at its end,

sheet ltraveling over the cylinders, and a paw Lar'mA pvotedto the. crank. upon the rock- .shaft and engaging the ratchet-wheel, as and for the purpose shown and set forth..

" .7.... The combination ot' the cylinder, the.

ratehetwheel secured to the end of the cylin deljfthe'fpawl-arm, means, as described,for reciprocating the p'awlarm, the spring bear- ,ing against the under side of the pawl-arm,

the spring vbearing against the upper `side 'of the pawl-arm, and the ticket-holding frame bearingwithoue end against the upper spring,-

Ahinged to the upper edge forcing it down and eounteracting the force' of the lower spring, as and for thepurpose shown and set'forth. i

8. The combination of the boX ,'the cylinder journaled in end with a ratchet wheel, the lid or door of one,side of the box, the pawl-arm connected pivotally to the said lid or door, the spring1 bearing against the lower side Ot' the said arm, the spring bearing against the upper side of the arm, the vticket holding frame bearing with one end against the saidupper spring, forcing it down to counteract the i'orce of the'lower spring, the stop-pawl, the spring bearing against its lower side,thespriugbearing against its upper side,` and the lid or cover'hinged to the other side of the bx, and provided witlra downwardlyproject-ing rod bearing spring ot' the stoppawl, forcing it to counter-- act the force of the lower spring, as and for the purpose shownandset lorth.

9. The combination ofthe box, the ratchet` bearing cylinder, the cylinder provided with a 'against the upper and under side polygonous trunnion for the application ot'a key, the sheet traveling over the cylinders, the lid hinged to -theupperedge of one side ofthe box, the. pawl-arm attached pivotally to the said lid, the springs bearing against the upper and under side ofthe pawl-arm, the ticklet-holding frame bearing against the upper spring, the stop pawl, the springs bearing and the hinged lid provided with a downwardly-projecting rod bearing against the up` per spring, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

10. The combination of the slotted ticket holding frame, the ratchet-bearing cylinder,

the means, as'described, for turning the said cylinder, the tally-sheet, the disk or roller secured upon the trunnion ot' the ratchet-bearing cylinder, the smaller roller journaled to turn in the same plane as the disk or roller, the registering-stri p, and the slotted plate sethe box, and providediat one "end, aticket-holding against the upper bined, and arranged ofthe same,

`the rulings of the-sheet,

cured above the said strip, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

1l. The combination of the ticket-holding frame having ay row`of slots near one edge corresponding to the names upon the ticket, the rod secured longitudinally upon the frame outside the slots, the strips hinged upon the said rod, the glazed frame hinged at the other edge ofthe ticket-holdingframe, and the bail securedl to the outer edge of the narrowv lid or door, as and for the purposeshown and set forth.

l2. The votingmachine consistingof a'box provided with hinged lids orcovers and formed witlra compartment or name-receptacle at one frame secured in the box, and having slots registeringwith the names upon the ticket, a traveling sheet exposed through the said slots, means for moving the said sheet when onelof the hinged lids is opened, a registeringfstrip traveling with the sheet, and-an alarm adapted to be sounded by theopeningor" the lid, all eonstructed,.com

purpose shown and set forth.

13. The tally or vote-reeordingsheet having the names o1' the otices and the names of the candidates for the said offices inscribed at one end of the sheet, ruled'at each name, hav-4 ing spaces for the-totals of marks upon each line at the end ofthe same, and havingablank form for the certificate of the judges or commissioners 'ofthe election at the end of the sheet opposite tothe end having-the ticketinscribed, in combination with a plate having slots corresponding to and registering with and means, substantially as described, for moving the said sheet, as and for the purpose shownand set forth.

In testimony that l claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto affixed my signature in presence 'ot' two witnesses.

, \VI'LLIAM PERRY FURNELL.` Viitnesses:

o JEHU J cursos,

J osnrrr ALLEN.'

to operate as and for the 

